Innocence Again
by strawberryfields11
Summary: Dean has to save Sam from himself. Rated T to be safe.


AN: This is my first story so please be kind. The lyrics in the story are Breath by Breaking Benjamin. Please read and review, tell me what you think :).

Disclaimer:I own nothing except any mistakes you find.

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Dean glared at the man tied to the chair in front of him. Souless, black eyes stared back, a smug look on the bastard's face.

"What's the matter big brother? Didn't you miss me?" It said mockingly.

_**I see nothing in your eyes**_

Dean grimaced, resisted the urge to smack his brot- the _thing_- in front of him. It wasn't Sammy. He refused to believe it.

'Sam' laughed.

_**And the more I see the less I like**_

"Dean." Bobby's voice came from behind him. Dean turned and locked eyes with the older man.

He had a sad look on his weathered face. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked quietly.

Dean swallowed hard, turning back to his brother.

He nodded slowly. "I have to." It came out barely above a whisper.

"It could kill him." Bobby warned hesitantly.

Dean shut his eyes, forced himself to stay calm.

_**Is it over yet? In my head**_

"I know." He choked the two words out, almost painfully. 'Sam' sat there quietly the whole time, observing the older men, not even trying to hide his amusement.

"What are you going to do Dean? Exorcise me? It won't work." 'Sam' laughed. "I'm not possesed. It's all me in here."

Dean ignored him, began helping Bobby with the preperations for the exorcism. It wasn't technically an exorcism because, as much as Dean hated to admit it, Sam _wasn't_ possesed. But he wasn't totally in control either. The demon blood was. Just as it had been for the last three months. The worst three months of Dean's life, filled with endless searching for his brother, before he and Bobby finally caught up with the kid three days ago. They had brought 'Sam' back to Bobby's place to perform the ritual. It was an ancient one, extremely hard to come across, but leave it to Bobby to find it. Sam had more or less let the blood take over, him and his 'demon' half becoming one. They couldn't remove the evil from Sam's body, only split the two in half again, and lock the evil way deep down inside just as had always been. But they had been joined for so long, the effort to tear them apart again was going to hurt like hell....maybe even kill him.

Dean shuddered and shoved the thought out of his mind. Sam would make it out. He was too strong and stubborn not to.

Bobby gave him one last unsure look before handing Dean the spell he'd have to recite.

When Dean faced his brother again, the smug look was gone, a blank, unconcerned look replaced it.

"Come on Bro, I haven't seen you in months." Sam said casually. "Don't you wanna know what I've been up to?" He smiled darkly. Dean spared a glance at the blood covering his brother's shirt and jeans, knowing all too well it didn't belong to his brother.

_**I know nothing of your kind, and I won't reveal your evil mind**_

Dean cleared his throat and began reading. Halfway through the second sentence 'Sam' realized what was going on. And he wasn't too happy about it.

He started screaming, whether from anger or agony, only Sam knew. The wind started to pick up in the medium-sized Devil's Trap they had Sam detained in.

Dean did his best to ignore the chaos in front of him, although it went against everything he had been raised to do. Ignoring Sammy in pain was damn near impossible for the older brother, so he focused more on the Sammy in his memories, not the one in front of him. The adorable five-year old asking to sleep in his big brother's bed after a nightmare. The curious eight year old who followed Dean everywhere he went. The innocent hazel eyes that bore into Dean's, always looking for answers.

"Dean stop! Please it hurts!" Black eyes still screamed at him.

_**Is it over yet? I can't win**_

Dean fought back tears, grit his teeth, and kept reading.

A quarter of the way the way through the ritual, Sam screamed, really screamed, and this time Dean couldn't help but stop.

"Dean please.." _Sam_ choked out a sob. Blood poured from his nose, and started leaking out of fresh wounds all over his body. Bruises began to cover his face and arms. The demon in him must have kept Sam from retaining physical wounds.

Dean's gaze rose to meet his brother's.

"Just stop. Kill me please. I don't wanna live." Sam begged. "It hurts." He choked out the last part.

_**So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left**_

_**I know that I can find the fire in your eyes**_

"Dean." Bobby urged him to keep going. Dean spared a glance at the man, knowing he was right.

He set his jaw and looked into his little brother's eyes. "I'm so sorry Sammy. You know I can't do that."

_**I'm going all the way, get away, please**_

He continued reading. Sam continued screaming.

_**You take the breath right out of me**_

_**You left a hole where my heart should be**_

_**You got to fight just to make it through**_

_**'Cause I will be the death of you**_

The wind in the circle was heavy now. Dean could barely hear himself over the roaring of it doubled with Sam's screaming.

"Stop!" Sam growled, eyes still as hazel as they were the day he was born. "I hate you Dean! I hate you! Just stop!" He screamed.

Considering the situation they were in, the words shoudn't have bothered Dean that much. But they did. In a moment of weakness Dean gave his brother the only comfort he could.

"Shh Sammy, I know, I'm sorry. We're almost done I promise." He called out desperatley, wanting nothing more than for Sam's pain to stop.

_**This will be all over soon**_

_**Pour salt into the open wound**_

He was already halfway through it. The blood flowed more freely now, and Dean began worrying about blood loss, along with the other million things he was worrying about at that moment.

A bone chilling laugh interrupted him this time, and Dean swore loudly, knowing all to well who it came from. Couldn't anything be easy for them?

No. No it could not.

Dean continued reading, half listening to what his brother's body buddy was saying.

"Your just gonna end up killing us Dean." It laughed. "He's been injured too much. I'm the only thing keeping him upright."

Dean pressed on. _'Demons lie' _He told himself.

"Are you gonna bury me?" It mocked. "Or salt and burn?"

_**Is it over yet? Let me in**_

Almost done.

"You promised you'd save me Dean."

Two more sentences.

"I knew you couldn-" The rest of the words went unheard. The fierce wind suddenly broke out of the Devil's Trap and swirled around the tiny living room, knocking Dean to his knees.

All he could hear was Sam's bloodcurdling screams and the rushing of wind.

_**So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left**_

Followed by a deafening crash that seemed to echo all around them.

_**I know that I can find the fire in your eyes**_

A blinding light covered Sam from Dean's view. Sam had stopped screaming, and Dean knew without a doubt that something had gone horribly wrong.

_**I'm going all the way, get away, please**_

The light seemed to expand out, eating away everything in sight. The wind only gained momentum. Dean heard Bobby yell for him to take cover, but there was nothing near him that would do any good. He just settled for hitting the floor and covering his head with his hands. Not very effective, but he didn't care. If Sam wasn't making it out of this, neither was he.

_**You take the breath right out of me**_

_**You left a hole where my heart should be**_

Seconds later, what seemed like a small explosion shook the house, before blanketing it in an eerie silence.

_**You got to fight just to make it through**_

_**'Cause I will be the death of you**_

It didn't take long for Dean to figure out he wasn't dead. Small afterschocks rippling through the floorboards made sure he knew that. He let out a groan, pushing himself up on his hands and knees, searching for Sam. He found Bobby first, peeking out from behind a desk, eyes locked on something further past Dean.

Dean followed the older man's gaze slowly, eyes finally resting on his bloody, bruised brother, still tied to the chair. His head lolled back lifelessly, and he wasn't breathing.

_He wasn't breathing._

"No." Dean muttered, tears already burning trails down his face. "Nononononono." He repeated, choking back a sob, frozen where he sat.

_**I'm waiting, I'm praying, realize, start hating**_

Bobby was at his side in seconds, hesitantly laying a hand on his shoulder.

Dean looked up at him, noticing the tears rolling down Bobby's face as well.

"I'm sorry son." He quietly.

Dean snarled, the words sinking in, and went to lunge for Bobby, but a sharp intake of breath stopped him. Both men whipped their heads around to look at the boy in the chair. The boy who hadn't been breathing not two seconds ago. The boy who was now taking in stangled gulps of air, tugging at the ropes that held his wrists, and searching around wildly for someone to help him.

Then Sam's terrified gaze met Dean's.

"Sammy." Dean breathed out. Sam held his gaze a moment longer, then began coughing violently. And that unfroze Dean real quick.

He was on his feet in seconds.

"Dean, maybe.." Bobby started, but there was no use. Dean had already ripped his arm from the man's grasp and was running to his brother at inhuman speed, crashing to his knees i n front of the younger boy.

Sam whimpered as his older brother started untying him, ropes rubbing against raw skin.

"Shh, shh, Sammy its okay." Dean got the second bond off, just as Sam fell forward.

Dean caught him easily, lowering his little brother to the floor with him. He kept them both upright, hugging Sam closely to him.

"I gotcha kid, I gotcha. You're okay now, we're okay." He rocked his brother slowly, whispering words of comfort.

"I shouldn't be here. You shoulda let me die." Sam whispered.

Dean held his brother tighter to him, bringing one hand up to cup the back of his head.

"No. Never." He muttered angrily, another tear escaping his eye at the mere mention of the words.

Sam sighed tiredly, pressing his head closer into Dean's chest, his fingers gently clutching at his brother's jacket. He shivered slightly, from bloodloss or the fact that he didn't have a jacket, Dean wasn't sure.

Dean ruffled his brother's hair a bit. "Hey Sammy you gotta stay awake okay? I still need to patch you up."

He felt Sam nod. "M'still here.." He whispered softly, pausing a moment. "I really don't hate you." He added in a small voice.

Dean smiled for the first time in months, unable to grasp the reality of his brother alive in his arms, after everyone told him to expect the worst.

He buried his face in his brother's hair, kissing the top of his head.

His Sammy _was_ still here.

_**You take the breath right out of me**_

_**You left a hole where my heart should be**_

_**You got to fight just to make it through**_

_**'Cause I will be the death of you**_


End file.
